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Model of Brunel's cotton winding machine.

Model of Brunel's cotton winding machine.

1800-1802

Brunel's multiple writing machine No.554 patented 1799

Brunel's multiple writing machine No.554 patented 1799

1799

Component of Brunel's multiple writing machine No.554 patented 1799

Component of Brunel's multiple writing machine No.554 patented 1799

1799

[Ms. letter] 1802 Apr 19 [to] Brigadier General Bentham, Plymouth Dock / Mc. Brunel. [2p. on 1 leaf, holograph signed. He will call on Mr Poole and ask him 'to delay the further progress of the patent'. He has 'not yet compleated the little Machine' for he has been making 'a small instrument to assist me in cutting the Screws'. Re Bentham's letter to the Admiralty Brunel adds 'I feel particularly gratefull for the favourable manner in which you express yourself respecting my Block Machines']

Ms. letter 1802 Apr 19 [to] Brigadier General Bentham

1802

Sectional model of Thames tunnel, 1826, by Severn-Lamb Limited, England

Thames Tunnel Sectional model, 1826

[Testimonial, 1837 May 29, to the character of Daniel Denny / M. I. Brunel. Addressed to I. K. Brunel, 18 Duke St., Westminster, stating that Denny is one of the best (Thames Tunnel) labourers. 1p.]

Testimonial, 1837 May 29

1837

[Letter] 1839 Mar 7, Thames Tunnel [to] Sir Ths. Lauder, Grange House, Edinburgh / Mc. I. Brunel. [4p. on 1 leaf, holograph signed. Lauder was secretary to the Board of Scottish Manufactures and Fisheries. Brunel means to explain his 'plan of construction of Arches', but he digresses in a wide-ranging letter concerning the current state of aspects of mechanical engineering, forty years to the day since he landed in England at Falmouth. Now his own son is responsible for the London-Exeter railway. He mentions the mechanical handling of timber at Chatham Dockyard. He states 'Now Steam power is subduing every thing', and 'How contracted Mercator's map is now!' thanks to steam vessels. He considers the vast numbers of newspapers and the population potential of America and Australia. 'How little has gold done contrasted with Iron', he muses, and looks at its consumption: 'The scale for defining the range of productive industry and of wealth is certainly the yearly employment of Iron'. He adds that 'The most correct scale of prosperity is the quantity of Brick made'. Brunel wonders how Australian schoolboys learning geography, looking at a globe, can understand 'how all people that speak English can come from a little spot at the bottom of the Inverted Globe'. Finally, he states that another scale of improvement or of progress in the enlargement of knowledge is the quantity of paper used', and he gives figures to show the huge recent increase. See Archive : the quarterly journal for British industrial and transport history, issue 24 (1999 Dec), p.26-30]

Letter 1839 Mar 7

1839

[Letter] 1838 Mar 20 [to] Isambard [K. Brunel] / M.I. Brunel. ["Having heard from those men who were in the shield to the last moment", he reports re construction (of Thames Tunnel) "in the course of a few minutes roaring noise was heard [indicating] that the ground having been washed at the Back of the Polings, the Polings were thrown from their place ... and the protection entirely broken away." Some polings were picked up in the river]

Letter 1838 Mar 20 [to] Isambard [K. Brunel]

1838

Brunel's multiple writing machine No.554 patented 1799, desk and connecting rod made in museum from specifications

Brunel's multiple writing machine No.554 patented 1799

1799

[Letter] 1838 May 2 [to] Monsieur Lees, Paris/M.I. Brunel, [giving news of Isambard Kingdom Brunel who was ill after an accident and outlining the difficulties encountered with water, fire and foul air in building the Thames Tunnel. Marc himself was well and active inspite of being 69 years old]

Letter 1838 May 2 [to] Monsieur Lees

1838 May 2

[Ms.letter] 1829 Jun 13, [to] Mr. J. Field / M. I. Brunel. [Concerns burning of sawdust: 'we have never burnt the sawdust at Battersea but at Chatham it is done with success'. Requests bill for ordnance stores sent to him recently. 1p.]

Ms.letter 1829 Jun 13

1829

[Letter] 1843 April 7 [to] My young friend / M. I. Brunel, requesting as many of your papers as can be spared and promising to send a very comprehensive report made by competent arbitration on 53 plans referred to them in 1808. Lady Brunel is poorly following her visit to the Thames Tunnel. The letter possibly refers to Brunel's attempts to be paid for the Thames Tunnel work and invokes his experience with the block making machinery as an example. 1p.]

Letter 1843 April 7 [to] My young friend / M. I. Brunel

1843

[Letter] 1828 Oct 31 [to] Jas. Bandinel, Foreign Office, London / M.I. Brunel. [Apologises for delay in writing "to my friend .... the Tunnel maker". Refers to the "state of uncertainty" regarding the Thames Tunnel although "many enquiries are made as to when it will be resumed". Comments on the correspondence between Directeur General des Ponts et Chaussees and Mr. Smith [chairman, Thames Tunnel Co.]. Brunel is "totally ignorant on the subject of the Tunnel, the continuation of which I however consider certain was it but on Mr Smith's authority". Praises the part played by Bandinel]

Letter 1828 Oct 31 [to] Jas. Bandinel

1828

[Letter] 1839 Nov 5 [to Jas?] Walker / M.I. Brunel. [1p., holograph signed. Concerns the good progress of the Thames Tunnel]

Letter 1839 Nov 5 [to Jas?] Walker / M.I. Brunel. [1p.

1839

[Letter] 1832 Feb 20 [to] Messrs Maudslay & Field, Lambeth Road / M. Brunel, [re principal dimensions of the Woolwich Pumps. 2p. on 1 leaf. Probably concerns pumps for Woolwich Dockyard. Item conserved and bound in limp folder]

Letter 1832 Feb 20 [to] Messrs Maudslay & Field

1832